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Afghan helicopter crash kills 16 | Afghan helicopter crash kills 16 |
(10 minutes later) | |
A civilian helicopter has crashed in southern Afghanistan, killing at least 16 people, a military official has told the BBC. | A civilian helicopter has crashed in southern Afghanistan, killing at least 16 people, a military official has told the BBC. |
The helicopter crashed at the Kandahar airfield, Nato's largest base in southern Afghanistan, apparently as it was trying to take off. | The helicopter crashed at the Kandahar airfield, Nato's largest base in southern Afghanistan, apparently as it was trying to take off. |
Reports from Moscow say the helicopter was a Russian-built Mi-8. | Reports from Moscow say the helicopter was a Russian-built Mi-8. |
The crash is the second in a week. Six passengers died when a helicopter came down in Helmand province on Tuesday. | |
'Not shot down' | 'Not shot down' |
Russia's Interfax agency quoted a spokesman for Russia's Federal Air Transportation Agency (Fata) as saying the aircraft was a Russian-built Mi-8 transport helicopter. | Russia's Interfax agency quoted a spokesman for Russia's Federal Air Transportation Agency (Fata) as saying the aircraft was a Russian-built Mi-8 transport helicopter. |
Fata said it was owned by the Russian air company Vertikal-T. | Fata said it was owned by the Russian air company Vertikal-T. |
The nationalities of the dead are not yet known. | The nationalities of the dead are not yet known. |
A statement from the International Security Assistance Force said: "A civilian contracted helicopter crashed during take-off from Kandahar airfield. | A statement from the International Security Assistance Force said: "A civilian contracted helicopter crashed during take-off from Kandahar airfield. |
"Emergency personnel are on the scene. There was no indication of the cause of the accident but insurgent action has been ruled out." | "Emergency personnel are on the scene. There was no indication of the cause of the accident but insurgent action has been ruled out." |
The dead in Tuesday's crash in Helmand were all civilians. | The dead in Tuesday's crash in Helmand were all civilians. |
That helicopter crashed near the Sangin military base, with local people saying it had been shot down by insurgents. | That helicopter crashed near the Sangin military base, with local people saying it had been shot down by insurgents. |
Six Ukrainian crew members of the Mi-26 helicopter died, along with an Afghan boy on the ground. |